Rectal dilator



C. H. WOLFF ET AL Maly 12, 1936.

RECTAL D ILATOR Filed March 15, 1933 n 5v OO* Patented May 12, 1936UNITED STATES RECTAL DILATOR Charles H. WolH and Hermann Weder, Sr.,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March l5, 1933, Serial No. 660,800

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electricaly heated rectaldilators for the treatment of piles or hemorrhoids, constipation,prostatic troubles and other ailments which will respond to thetreatment of dilating the rectum and the internal application of heatthereto.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel durable andadvantageous means for supporting the heating element and the electricalconductors leading therefrom within the instrument. Another object is toprovide a novel means for guarding and protecting the heating elementwhen the part of the instrument which is constructed to make contactwith the rectum and adjacent body parts is removed from the remainingparts of the instrument for sterilization. A further object is toprovide a novel means for regulating the heat of the instrument bypermitting air to enter and leave the interior thereof.

With the foregoing and related objects in view the invention resides inthe elements and the combinations of them hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the invention,"

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved rectal dilator. Y

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the instrument.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section, enlarged, of the insulating core,showing certain parts carried thereby.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the instrument, on line 4-4 ofFig. 1.

Figure 5 is a transverse section through the dilator and heater, on line5 5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, 2 designates the handle and 3 the dilatingmember of the device.

The handle 2 is made hollow and cylindrical in form and it may beconstructed of hard rubber or any other suitable material.

The dilating member 3 is made hollow and constructed of thin metal andit comprises a cylindrical body 6 having an outwardly extending, annularflange I near one end thereof and having the opposite end portionthereof terminating in a somewhat oval shaped enlargement 8 shaped topermit its easy insertion into the rectum. 'Ihe length of thecylindrical body 6 between the ange 'I and the enlargement 8 is such asto permit the insertion of the dilating member t a point where theenlargement 8 occupies a position inwardly of the inner and outersphincter muscles, and in which the further insertion is prevented bythe flange l. The end portion of the cylindrical body 6 adjacent to andbeyond the ilange 'I is threaded and screwed into corresponding threadsin the adjacent end portion of the handle 2 in a manner to permit thedilating member 3 easily to be applied to or removed from the handle.When the member 3 is applied to the handle 2', the ange 1 engages theadjacent end of the handle and serves as a stop to prevent furtherrelative turning of the member and handle and to provide suicientfriction between them to prevent accidental unscrewing of the parts whenthe device is in use. Y Y n Extending centrally within the handle 2 andthe dilating member 3 is a core 9 which is formed of suitable electricalinsulating material and which comprises a supporting tubular end portionI0, a free tubular end portion II and a reduced or flat intermediateportion I2 connecting the end portions I 8 and II.

The free tubular end portion I I is made smaller in diameter than thesupporting tubular end portion I8, and the respective ends of theportion Ii are provided with annular expanded portions. or heads I3 andI4 having oppositely facing, annular shoulders I and I5a, respectively,thereon. Encirclng the tubular portion II and extending between theheads I3 and I4 thereon is an electrical heating coil I6 havingterminals I'I and I8 leading from the respective endsy thereof. Theterminal I'I extends from the coil I6 through an opening in the head I3to a plate I9 which is secured to one side of the intermediate portionI2 of the insulating core 9 by a screw 20, the terminal being connectedto the plate I9 by soldering or other suitable means. The terminal I8extends from the coil I6 through an opening in the wall of the tubularportion II to the interior thereof and thence through the portion II andout through an opening in a wall thereof to a plate 2| which is securedto the side of the intermediate portion I2 opposite to the plate I9 by ascrew 22, the terminal I8 being connected to the plate 2| by solderingor other means.

Connected to the plates I9 and 2l by means of the screws and 22 are theinner ends of electrical wires 23 and 24 which extend therefrom throughopenings in parts of the core 9 to the interior of the supportingtubular portion IIJ thereof and thence through the portion III to andout through an opening 25 in the free end of the handle 2. The outerportions of the wires 23 and 24 are adapted to be connected to anelectrical plug for insertion into the socket of a source of electriccurrent to supply the same to the heating coil I6 when the device is inuse. 55

The heating coil I6 is surrounded by a tubular guard 26 which is held inplace by and be-V tween the heads I3 and I4 and which is mounted on theshoulders I5 .and I5a and thereby held in spaced concentric relationwith the tubular core portion IIand the coil I6 thereon. The guard 26 isprovided with numerous perforations Vfor the passage of air into andfrom within the same and the distribution of heat from the coil I6 toall parts of the interior of the dilating member 3 for heating the same.

The supporting end portion II of the insulating core 9'is held firmly inplace within the hollow handle 2 by a suitable sleeve 2'! whichsurrounds the same in firm frictional engagement therewith and with theinner wall of the handle 2; and the free end portion Il of the core I0and the guard 26 carried thereby are supported Y by and extend from thesupporting portion I0 into the dilating member 3 in spaced relation l tothe inner wall thereof.

The dilating member 3 may be easilyl unscrewed from the handle 2 andwith-drawn fromV the core I0 and parts carried thereby, for the purposeof sterilizing the member 3 or for other purposes, and when the memberis removed from the handle, the guard 26 serves to protect the heatingVcoil against accidental damage.

The'end portion of dilating member 3 which is screwed into the handle 2is provided with openings 30 which `are adapted to be moved into and`out of registry with corresponding openings` 3I` in the surroundingwall of the handle 2 when the member 3 is turned therein. When Ytheflange 'I of the member 3 Vis screwed tight against the opposingY vendof the handle 2, the openings 30 are out of registry with the openings3|, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, butY a slight reverse or unsc-rewingmovement of the member 3 will bring the openings 30 into registry withthe openings 3| for the purpose of permitting air to pass through thesame into and from the interior of theV member 3 for a purpose present zly` appearing. f Y

The length and diameter or gauge of the wire forming the heating coil I6is such as to heat the dilating member 3 to about 110 degrees Fahrenheitwhen the device is connected to a 110 volts provided for household use.The heat of the member 3 may be varied to some extent by turning itrelatively to the handle 2 to bring the openings 30 into partial or fullregistry with the openings 3I and thereby permit some of the heated airwithin the member to escape therefrom. By turning the member 3 to bringthe Y openings 30 into full registry with the openings 3I thetemperature of the member will be re- Y duced about ve degrees.

It will now be understood thatthe dilating member 3 may be inserted intothe rectum and that the device may be connected to a suitable source ofelectric current for heating the member 3 for the purpose of dilatingthe rectum and heat treating the same and other parts of the patient inthe region of the rectum.

We claim:

1. In a rectal dilator, a hollow handle, a hollow dilating member havingan end portion thereof removably connected to an end portion of thehandle, a core having an end portion supported within the handle and afree end portion extending from the handle and into the dilating member,said core being formed wholly of insulating material, an Velectricalheating coil sur rounding and supported by the free end portion ofY thecore, and a tubular guard provi-ded with numerous perforations supportedby the free end portion of the core and surrounding the coil in'V spacedrelation thereto and to the dilating meme ber. Y

2. In a rectal dilater, a hollow handle, a hol-V low dilating [memberhaving an end portion Y thereof removably connected to an end portionVof theV handle, a core having an end portion supported Within the handleand a free end portion extending from the handle and into the dilatingmember and having shouldered expanded portions at the respectiveends'thereof, said core being formed wholly of insulating material, anelectrical heating coil surrounding and supported by the free endportion of the core, and a tubular guar-d provided with numerousperforations extending between and` supported by the said shoulders andsurrounding the coil in'spaced r'e-V lation thereto and to the dilatingmember.

CHARLES H. WOLFF. HERMANN WEDER, SR.

